Apparatus for harvesting and cutting plate-ice.



D. J. HAVBNSTRTB. APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING AND CUTTING PLATE ICE.

PPLITN FILED AUG. 17, 19. 940,013. Patented N0v.16.1909.

F/lgl.

1J. u. DAVBNSTRI'L'L. APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING AND CUTTING PLATE ICE.

AYPLIUATXON FILED AUG.17, 190B,

Patented Nov. 16. 1909.

3 SHEETS SHEET 2` D. J. HAVBNSTRITE.

APPARATUS PUR HARVBSTING AND CUTTING PLATE 10P.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 190B. 940,013.

Patented Nov. 16. 1909.

lll'

DAVID J. BAVENBTRITE, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOB. HABVESTING LND CUTTING PLATE-ICE.

Specicatlon ol Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

Application lcd August 17, 1908. Serial No. 448,879.

To all whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I,DAv1n J. HAvnivs'riirrE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in an Apparatus for Harvesting and Cutting Plate-Ice, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is an apparatus for harvestingband cutting plate Ice. Said apparatus em odies two oppositely displosed gangs of circular saws, between whic the ice cake is lowered while still adherent to the freezin tubes, which saws operating on opposite si es of the cake, divide the same into vertical strips, which continue adherent to the tubes and are received in a receptacle which also serves to guide the cake during its descent. After the tubes are thawed off and removed, a carriage, wherein is disposed a rotary horizontal circular saw, is moved across the face of the cake dividing the same horizontally, and the blocks above the saw-cut are taken away. The vertically moving bottom piece in said receptacle, upon which said cake rests, is then raised to expose a new part of the cake to the action of the horizontal cutter whereby another tier of blocks is se arate and the cake continues to be rai intermittently until the whole is subdivided into blocks or fractions of suitable commercial size.

The invention consists in the various combinations includin the aforesaid mechanisms, more particu arly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a section of the apparatiison the line 1 1 of Fig. 2, the near edge of the freezing tank being broken away. Fig. 2 is a scction on the line 2 2 of Fie'. 1, the side of one of the supporting guides being broken away. Fig. 3 1s a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. 'Fi 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. iig. 5 is a plan view.

Similar numbers of reference indicate like parts.

The general construction of the freezing tank 5, transverse houders (i and parallel tubes 7 depending from said Iiciidcrs, is subsluiitiiillv the saine iis set forth in U. S. ria-issued Letters liiteiit N o. 12,808, grunted to me June il 1908. As Iullv described iu said pulenti. tlm ieu is foi-inrit upon the ilopenfliiig tubes 7 in which n i'cfrigei'iitiun` medium circulatie. The cylinders produced on the individual tubes connected to each header coalesce to form ice cakes, iee from the sides and bottom of the tank. As soon :is each cake is brought to a sufficient thickness, the header, tubes and ice cake adherent to said tubes, are raised from said tank by means of atraveling overhead crane. The crane preferably consists of a carriage 8 running on ways 9 and having a winding drum 10 operated by an electric motor 11'. The cord or chain on the drum is connected to suitable eyes on the header 6 and b rotating the drum, the header, tubes and7 adherent ice cake are lifted clear of the tank. The carriage is then moved along the ways 9 until the suspended cake is over the cuttii pit 12 which is preferably located imm iately ad''acent to the end of the freezing tank 5. he cake is then lowered downward into said pit, and during the descent, is fed between the gangs of circular saws 13 and 14, which saws enter between the supporting tubes 7 and divide said cake into a number of vertical strips.

The saws 13, l-l are supported and operated in the followin manner; 15 is a gil-der supported on the e ge of freezing tank 5. 16 is a facing irder supported on the ledee 17 pro'ecting om the wall 18 of the buil ing: n the girder 15 are brackets 20 in w ich is journaled the shaft 21, which carries the gang 13 of circular saws. On the girder 16 are brackets 22 in which is journaled the shaft 23, which carries the gang 14 of circular saws. The saws of ang 14 are in the same vertical plane as e saws of gang 13 (see Figs. 4 und 5), so that the opposite saws of a nir each divide approximately half the thickness of the cake as said cake is lowered down upon and ietwceii them. Rotary motion is imparted to shaft. 21 by means of n belt from tho electric motor 24 which is supported ou n floor 25 laid on both 'rders 15, 16, and snid motion is transmittedvx to the shaft 22 by means of the intermeshing ears 23.

The width of i ic pit l2 is but little more than the thickness of the ice cnkc, so that. said cake is supported iii ii vertical position, and is guided during itsl descent by the side liiiiii rs 2li iii said pit. Iii said pit is n rvrticiil y nioriililc bottoni picco oi' support, 2T preferably com-.uve on its up 'mi' su o. und iii said vollem-'ity the lower ci gc of the ico calco 29 is received iiller said ico, milio luis been divided iiilin vertical H1 rips by Ilio suive i3, 14, the support 27 then b eing at the bottoni of the pit, as shown in Fl ts. l, 2 3. The next step is to remove the tu es 7 trom the ice cake 28. It is, of course, to be understood that before the header, tubes and adherent cake are raised from the tank, as already described, the pi es which convey refrigerating liquid to an from the header (which pipes are here not shown, but arc attached to the couplin 29, 30, of each header) are disconnects After the cak'e has been vertically divided, the ends of llex i ble pipes 31, 32, l* ig. 2, are connected to said couplings. Pipe 31 leads from a Warm liquid tank 33 supported on floor 25. Pipe 32 leads from the delivery of a pump 34 sup orted on ledge 17, the suctionplpe 35 of sai pump being connected to sai tank 33. The ump 34 being set in operation, warm liqui from tank 33 is caused to circulate through the hendel.' and tubes and back to said tank. In this way the ice cake is thawed oli' from its supiporting tubes, and then said tubes and hea er are raised from the cake, as shown in Fi l and 2, and transported back to the reezing tank for re-immersion.

In Fi 2, the dotted lines in the divided ice cake indicate the holes left in the cake after the tubes have been removed, and the dark lines, the vertical divisions made by the saws 13, 14, during the descent of the cake into the pit 12, as already described. The ice cake is now divided horizontally to produce a number of blocks of suitable size for commercial handling, by the following means. On the floor 36 are laid tracks 3T on which runs a carria 38, which sup orts an electric motor 39, t le shaft of whxc by means of bevel' ering 40, rotates the vertical shaft of a orizontal circular saw 41. Said saw shaft is su ported in a bracket on said carriage 38. T e carria e is moved uv hand be ond one vertical ge of the ice cake, an the motor is set in operation. The carriage is then ushed along the track until the saw meets t e cake and then is fed onward, still by hand, or by any other convenient means, until the saw has com .leted a horizontal division of said cake. T 1e ice blocks A, B, ctc., Fig. 2, above this horizontal division are then lifted off and removed. The saw 41 is retracted to its starting point and the cake is elevated in the pit for a suitable distance, ready for the saw to make a new horizontal cut.

The elevation of the cake is effected by the following means. 43 and 44 are vertical threaded shafts journnlcd in cross-hure 4.5, 46, extending lit-.tween gil-ders 13', 16, und having their lower ends in sie )s 47 nt tho bottom of pit 12. The thrcadcr portions of said shafts uro received in threaded nieningn in the bottom picco or support. 2 so that when said shafts nrc rotated in one direction, said support is raised, and when :mated in the other direction, said sup ort is lowered. 0n the upper end of sha t 43 is a pinion 48 which engages with a worm 49 on a short shaft 50, Fi 5, journaled in brackets on gil-der 15. S aft 50 is in line with saw shaft 21 and may be connected thereto at will by an suitable clutch 51, Fig. 2, operated by an le lever 52. Motion is imparted from shaft 43 to shaft 44 by means of a chain belt 53 passing over sprocket wheels on said shafts.

While the ice cake is being lowered into the pit and subjected to the action of the saws 13, 14, the clutch.51 is disconnected, so that the shafts 43 and 44 are not then o erated. When it is desired to raise the cale for a new cut to be made by the horizontal saw 41, the clutch 5l is connected, and then by the rotation of shafts 43 and 44, the suport 27 carryin the cake is raised to the esired point. he saw 41 is then operated as before, the blocks removed, the cake again raised and so on until the division of the whole cake into blocks is completed.

I claim:

1. In a plete ice harvesting and cutting apparatus, two parallel horizontal shafts, oppostely disposed circular saws on said s afts, means for supporting and lowerin an ice cake between said shafts to be verticall divided by said saws and means for gui ing said cake during its descent.

2. In a plate ice harvesting and cutti apparatus, two parallel horizontal shafts olppositely dis d circular saws on said s rafts, means or supporting and lowerin an ice cake between said shafts to be vertically divided by said saws, and a receptacle for said ice cake below said saws, constructed to receive and guide said ice cake durinlg its descent.

apparatus, means for lowering an ice cake, means for dividinn' said cake vertically durin the lowering thereof, means for horizon ta dividing said vertically divided cake, andy mechanism for raising said divided cake to expose new portions thereof to said horizontal dividing means.

4. In a plate ice harvesting and cutting apparatus, means for lowerin an ice cake, n motor, means actuatcd b sai motor for dividing said cake vertica ly during the lo'wering thereof, means for horizontally dividing said vertically divided cake, mechanism actuated by said motor for raising said divided culte to expose ncw portions thereof to said horizontal dividing means and means for discmmectilng,r at will said raising lucchunism from said motor.

5. lu a pluto ico llurvcstiup: und cutting apparatus, two rotar purnllc shafts, opposltl'ly disposed circu ur saws on said shul'ls, und means for supporting nml lowering nu a plate ice harvesting and cutting lill) ice cake between said. shafts: whereby said l ing said lowering, a receptacle for receiving ice cake is divided by said saws vertically and from opposite sides.

In a plate ice harvesting and cutting apparatus, means` for holding an ice cake in vertical position, fixed guide Ways disposed transversely across the face of said cake, a carriage movable on said ways and a rotary horizontal circular saw on said carriage.

T. In a plate ice harvesting and cutting apliaratus, lneans for holding an ice cake in vertical position, means for raising said cake, fixed guide ways disposed transversely across the face of said cake, a carriage movable on said ways and a rotary horizontal circular saw 011 said carriage.

8. In combination with a receptacle and means for supportino and lowering an ice cake therein, means Ior dividing said cake vertically during said lowering, and means for dividing said cake horizontally' while zontal dividing means.

t). In combination with a receptacle and means for lowering an ice cake therein, means for dividing said cake vertically during said lowering, means for dividing said cake horizontally while held in said receptacle, and means for intermittently raising said cake in said receptacle to expose new portions thereof to the action of said horiv zontal dividing means.

10. In a plate ice harvesting and cutting apparatus, means for lowering an ice cake, means for vertically dividing said cake dursaid divided cake and for guiding the same during its descent, a vertically movable bottom piece in said receptacle, means for horizontally dividing said. divided cake, and means for raising said bottom piece and calze thereon to present successive )ortions of said cake to the action of said horlzontal dividing means.

l1. In a plate ice harvesting and cutting apparatus, a receptacle for the ice cake, a vertically movable bottom piece in said receptacle, means for horizontally dividing said ice cake, and means for raising said bot.

tom piece and cake thereon to present successive portions of said cake to the action of said horizontal dividing means.

12. In a plate ice harvesting and cutting apparatus, in combination with a header and a plurality of parallel tubes thereon, eonstructed to retain an adherent ice cake, means for raising and lowering said header, tubes and cake unitedly, means for supporting and lowering said cake and means acting on opposite sides of said cake for dividing said cake vertically and between said tubes during the lowering of said cake.

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID J. HAVENSTRITE.

Witnesses GERTRUDE T. PORTER, MAY T. MCGARRY. 

